Day 51 - McAfee Knob

This picture was taken on the last of my backpacking trips.  This was September 23rd, 2005.  It was a warm day and there a nice breeze up on McAfee Knob - one of the AT's most photographed spots.  This was most definitely the longest backpacking trip I had taken - we hiked all day.  I can't remember now how far we actually hiked - but we walked along a very long ridgeline to spend the night at Tinker Cliffs.  You can see the ridgeline under the Knob - the cliffs are at the end.  I don't know if it's good or bad when you can stand on a vista and see where you are going.  I remember thinking "that looks really, really far away."

But Paul has hiked the entire AT before in one lump - so he's quite the expert.  Paul and I had also done a lot of hiking before so he knew my limitations.  Glenda is tough as rocks and had done far more backpacking and outdoor extremist activities than I had.  Paul had originally planned for us to make this a 2 nighter trip, incorporating Dragon's Tooth into the mixture, but for some reason we decided on a 1 nighter.   I'm really glad.  It was hard. 

Glenda is a nurse - and we set out on this adventure after she had worked an overnight 12 hour shift!  No sleep for her - just a brutal work-out of a hiking day.  She is so tough!

We had a feast of mac-n-cheese and tuna and then settled into our sleeping bags right there on the edges of Tinker Cliffs.  No tent.  No shelter.  Just a sleeping bag on the ground with a freaked-out dog next to me.  Neema and I again did not sleep that night - she kept growling at the deer and turkeys moving around behind us.  When we got up for breakfast, she crawled into my sleeping bag and passed out.

We hiked down a different way than how we came - I remember crossing over barbed-wire fences via these cool wooden stairs.  The AT winds through a lot of private land - and farmers seem ok with that as long as you don't mess anything up.

I also remember Paul's words "going up a trail is hard, but going down hurts."  That really is true.  

After a shower and a good meal - I also remember sleeping really, really well in my own bed.  :) 

So worth it, though. 

Day 50 - Glenda the Ghost

This is a picture of the living room of my house.  When I first bought it, Glenda was my roommate.  She came with me from the apartment we lived in for 2 years prior.  She looks like a ghost in this picture due to the long exposure.  :)

The living room looks exactly the same.  The only difference is the carpet is not as clean and the TV is bigger in the entertainment center.  EVERY person who came over always commented on how little my TV was.  I have to admit, watching football on that little screen while sitting on the couch was a bit tough.  Oh, I also have curtains now instead of those blinds.

I bought the entertainment center at Lowe's when they still sold furniture like this - got it on clearance, in fact.  My good buds Paul and Bob put it together for me and I stained it all by myself!  It was the first wood project I ever stained and I learned a valuable lesson:  always stir stain REALLY WELL before you use it.  I stained the upper doors first, then did the rest of the cabinet, and stained the bottom doors last.  The top doors were brown and the bottom ones were a really dark red.  Oops.  Time has evened them out and no one would even know if I didn't tell them.  :)

The night of this picture we had a housewarming party and so many of our friends came to wish us well in our new abode.  We had a ton of food and a ton of fun.  :)

If you look at the picture in full size (just click on it) you will see the African Sunrise picture that is the 1st post of this blog hanging on the wall.  :)

Day 49 - Hot Glass

This picture was taken at Sunspots Studios in Staunton, VA.  Matt and I went there the day after Christmas last year to make our very own glass ornaments.  It was super cool.  This was Matt's ornament - and the craftsman was putting the hook on top of it.  He would reach into this super hot kiln and pull out a blob of glass and make a 'hershey kiss' on top of the ornament.  It cooled very quickly as he formed it into a loop.  It was hard to get a good picture of it, but I think this one turned out pretty nice. 

Day 48 - Tired Feet and a Tired Dog

I have a thing for feet pictures, apparently.  :)  Actually - I know that to be true.

This was after a strenuous hike to  the Cow Camp Gap shelter on the AT in VA - Neema (the dog), myself, Matt, Paul and Bob backpacked to this shelter on May 14, 2005.

I just looked at my flickr note for this picture and it says: The best advice Paul (or Bob, can't remember which) ever gave me:  when backpacking - always bring along 'camp shoes.'  One of the joys of getting to camp is taking off the heavy hiking shoes and putting on roomy, breathable, light sandals - it really is like heaven for the feet. 

So true!

I had a hard time with this hike.  I'm not sure if it was dehydration, post-cycle anemia, or just plain ol fatigue - but I had to stop repeatedly due to getting light-headed and dizzy.  I could not keep up with the boys, that's for sure.  But I had my dog!  Oh wait, no, the little traitor always hiked behind Paul when she had that option.  He was most definitely her 'pack leader' when he was around.

The picture is of my feet on the left, Matt's are directly to my right, and I'm pretty sure those are Paul's on the far side.  But they could have been Bob's. 

We did not have the shelter to ourselves that night.  There were mice that kept Neema and I awake and there was another hiker - an older fella who went by the trail name 'Ambling Along.'  The guys were gentlemanly and put all 3 of their bodies between me and the stranger.  :)

We hiked all day and got to the shelter just in time for it to start raining.  One would think I would have slept great after a long day's hike and nice cool rainy weather in a warm toasty sleeping bag.  But nope.  I have yet to ever sleep on a backpacking trip.  But I do miss doing it.

My trail name is 'winky tink.'  It used to be tbass - a nickname of mine from college, but Paul overheard Dr. Bowman refer to me as 'winky tink' once and he declared that it was forever-more my trail name. 

I really look forward to the day I can put my pack back on again. 

Day 47 - Leaning Snow

This was during our blizzard winter in December 2009.  The top two pictures were taken from the loft window at our deck railing.  The snow just started to ...... lean.

It KEPT on leaning until I really was astounded at how FAR it had leaned without falling off!  I mean, look at that last picture - HOW did it not just fall apart?  It's SNOW!!!

It finally did fall.  But it gave me much entertainment in the process. 

Day 46 - Valley Favorite

Commonwealth Veterinary Clinic is where I have worked for the past 8 1/2 years - ever since I graduated from vet school in TN.

I so wish we had more of the staff in this picture - but they don't all work at the same time.  :(  This picture has all 4 of us doctors, all four of our licensed technicians, our hospital administrator, and 2 receptionists. 

Our local newspaper takes votes for the 'Valley Favorites' of different categories of businesses.  We've been the Valley Fave vet clinic for 5 or 6 years running now, I believe.  But this year they gave us a sign!  So cool! 

I did take this picture.  I have a little remote hidden in my hands.  :)

It's such a great crew - I feel so blessed to be able to work alongside these folks.  And I'm glad that our clients like us enough to vote for us year after year. 

Day 45 - Twinkle, Twinkle in the Snow

Nothing too exciting here - just a tree outside our vet clinic on Wednesday night as we were getting 9 inches of snow.  My staff got a little stuck trying to get out of the parking lot.  Fortunately, they all got rides - including one gal being taken home by me.  Fun times.

Thankfully all got home safe.  Our power stayed on.  And it was SO pretty sticking to all the trees. 

I'm ready for Spring.  :)